film processing

Film processing is the chemical and mechanical process that develops a photograph from exposed film. After exposure to light, the film contains latent images that need to be made visible. During processing, the film is immersed in chemicals that amplify these images: first, a developer turns the exposed areas into visible dark regions, then various fixers and washes remove remaining chemicals, stabilizing the image and preventing further change. The process includes steps like developing, stop bath, fixing, washing, and drying. This sequence transforms the latent image into a permanent photograph ready for viewing and archiving.